Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrives in Tallinn, starting official visit to Estonia

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived at Lennart Meri Tallinn airport in the capital of Tallinn on June 5 morning (local time), starting their three-day official visit to Estonia at the invitation of Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation are welcomed at the Lennart Meri Tallinn airport in the capital of Tallinn on June 5 morning

Welcoming PM Chinh, his spouse and the Vietnamese delegation at the airport were Estonian Ambassador to China and Vietnam Hannes Hanso; Deputy Director of the Estonian State Protocol Department Sven Tolp; and Vietnamese Ambassador to Finland and Estonia Pham Thi Thanh Binh.

This is the first visit to Estonia by a Vietnamese PM since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, aiming to promote the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries to a new level. The visit affirms Viet Nam's consistent policy of always attaching importance to and wishing to strengthen and promote relations with European countries, including Estonia.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran arrive at the Lennart Meri Tallinn airport in the capital of Tallinn on June 5 morning (local time).

Viet Nam and Estonia established diplomatic relations just one year after Estonia declared independence and separated from the Soviet Union. However, Viet Nam and Estonia have not yet opened an embassy in each other's country.

After 33 years, the two countries have exchanged a number of high-level delegations and meetings; established a political consultation mechanism at the deputy minister and department head levels. During meetings, Estonia repeatedly affirmed that Viet Nam is a priority partner in Southeast Asia, and its wish to further promote cooperation with Viet Nam. The two countries have also actively coordinated and supported each other at multilateral forums.

Economic relations between the two sides remain modest. Trade turnover between the two countries has increased steadily over the years, but by 2024, it had reached only 73.8 million USD. Estonia now has five valid direct investment projects in Viet Nam with a total investment of 280,000 USD.

Estonia has actively supported Viet Nam in signing the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and is one of the first EU countries to ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Estonia helped Viet Nam train students and postgraduates during the former Soviet Union and then, continued to cooperate in training with a number of Vietnamese universities.

During the visit, PM Chinh is expected to hold talks and meetings with senior leaders of Estonia, attend a Viet Nam - Estonia business forum, and visit several socio-economic and cultural establishments of the European country.

The visit is expected to open up new cooperation opportunities between the two countries, especially in the fields of information technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, financial technology, digital economy, cyber security, smart logistics, digital seaports, and e-government development.

NDO